Cherish
by RockinRobin5
Summary: Before the start of Ginny Weasley's seventh year, Harry Potter left to go and fulfill his hero complex. Yet, two years later, he comes back hoping for a reconciliation. With Harry's surprising arrival, Ginny's supposed functional life takes an unexpected
1. Unresolved

**Cherish**

**Chapter One--Unresolved**

_Written by Secret Lily_

The Burrow, a place that Ginny Weasley had always considered to be safe, came to symbolize all that she'd wished to leave behind. It was at the Burrow, exactly two years before, that _he _had said his goodbyes.

Everyone had treated him like some sort of hero, as if this act was merely characterized by bravery. Yet, she'd never understood why exactly he'd had to shut everyone out. He'd left them all that summer, leaving behind the only ones he had. After all the tragedy he'd endured, all the loss, he still hadn't come to the realization that his friends were the ones he needed most. _She _was the one he needed most.

It was as if after everything he'd been through, he'd been scared to hold on any longer. When she was fifteen years old, he'd broken up with her, claiming he had to go on alone and that it was for her own good. He'd always underestimated the ones he loved, feeling as though he had to protect them above all else. As broken hearted as she'd been, she knew that over the next year, they would remain friends. And they did.

After waiting for so long, for so many years, she'd lost him. Although they'd only been together for a short amount of time, she'd come to trust him. He hadn't been like the other boys. He never had been one to stray upon normality. She knew this before they'd even gotten together. Despite that, she'd waited.

She watched as he wasted time on Cho Chang, the pretty Ravenclaw girl far too traumatized for a relationship. She'd been his friend. Yet, after all they'd been through together, she couldn't help but savor the times they'd had with one another.

It was on her seventeenth birthday, right in the midst of summer, that he'd run away for good. The memory, despite her better efforts, remained etched within her mind. She hadn't seen him in over two years. She wasn't even sure if he was alive. All she had left to live on was his memory.

XXX

As the embers of the dying light hit his face, she could tell he was there to deliver news. She had been hoping, praying, that perhaps he'd merely wanted to personally wish her happy birthday, yet she knew it wasn't the case.

They were friends, nothing more. Not that she hadn't hoped he would realize that his noble act wasn't going to work for her. He'd remained oblivious to the pain she'd been feeling for the past year.

And now, on her seventeenth birthday, the day she finally became a woman in society, he was going to tell her something that could very well turn her entire life to hell. Yet, she was prepared.

As she shifted her bare foot in the grass, nervously fidgeting and anticipating his words, she watched her brother and Hermione in the distance. How was it that the two of them could make things work, but she and Harry were destined to remain alone? Her normally soft, friendly brown eyes grew envious, awaiting the sound of his voice.

"Gin, I don't want things to be like this," he had told her, unable to look her straight in the face.

"Like what, Harry?" she inquired. "Unresolved?"

Reluctantly, he nodded, running a hand through his unruly black hair anxiously. It was a habit he'd grown accustomed to, finally overcoming the restraint he'd once held.

"I have to go," he told her softly, trying to remain strong for the both of them. "I have to go and find him, Ginny, to settle it once and for all."

"Why you, Harry? Why does it have to be you?" she had asked him bluntly. "Why is it that you have to go? What am I supposed to do without you?"

As he cupped her chin in his hand, hoping to look upon things optimistically, she couldn't help but shake her head in protest.

"You'll manage, Ginny," he told her. "You have so many people in this world that care about you. I'll be lucky if you even miss me at all."

For a moment, she'd wanted to agree with him. Why was it that she constantly let herself remain vulnerable in his presence? She didn't take anything from anyone else, but what was it about him that made things different? She'd once thought it was love, but now, she realized she'd been foolish.

"I'll come back for you, Gin," he told her. "I promise you, I'll come back."

"When, Harry? After you kill all the Death Eaters? After you seek revenge on Bellatrix and Peter Pettigrew? After You-Know-Who is finally done in?" she asked him. "I know you, Harry. You won't rest until they're all dead. When will that be? And how am I to know you'll be alive to come back to me?"

"You have to trust me, Ginny," he told her, grabbing her small hand to provide reassurance. "And I'll trust you as well. I trust that you'll get over me, you'll move on, and you'll make a life for yourself. You won't dwell on my departure. Instead, you'll find comfort in understanding why I have to do this. You do know me, Ginny. So, please, trust me."

"Don't leave," she demanded, her voice straying as far away from plead as it could.

"You know I can't do that," he whispered, dropping her hand and eyeing the Burrow in the distance.

As he turned, his eyes resting on hers, she knew that if she ever were to see him again, things would never be the same. It was too late for them.

XXX

As she sat up in bed, her skin glistening with beads of sweat and her fingers trembling, she shook her head of vivid red hair, attempting to shake the memory from her body. She gently rapped the wooden floorboard with her bare foot, a nervous habit she'd acquired over the years. He was always with her, always a part of her. Why was it that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't relieve herself of him? The nightmares had become an ongoing ritual for her, a part of her hoping to be empty, another desperately dreaming to be whole.

He had become unforgettable, impossible, stubborn even in his absence. She longed desperately to move on, but knew it was useless to pray such things.

_You never forget your first love.._

She turned her head, her body still facing the other way, to see the body sprawled on the other side. The moonlight crept in through a crack in the window, resting on his blonde hair and pale body.

She'd found someone to distract her, someone who promised to take care of her. He was there as proof, proof that she could get over Harry.

Her family disapproved, of course, but it wasn't their choice. Something about the look in his pale, gray eyes indicated change. He hadn't entirely reformed, but somehow, he'd overlooked the bad blood between their two families.

The two of them had been together for a year, six months after his release from Azkaban. She'd never imagined she'd be with Draco Malfoy, a man dedicated to antagonizing her family, her beliefs, her soul mate..

Yet, something inside of her had been aching for him. At first it had been spite, but now, he was all that she had. After two years, all she was left with was a Malfoy.

And now, he believed he had taken what had once been Harry Potter's.

But, the truth was, he'd never have her.


	2. Unexpected

**Cherish**

**  
Chapter Two--Unexpected**

_  
Written by PWR_

Sunlight cascaded through the window, into a small, well furnished bedroom. The room, which was usually dark, due to the dim lighting in the entire residence building, lit up considerably. If anyone had decided to take a walk past this particular building, press their nose against the glass, they would be able to see the entire content of the room.

If such a thing happened, one would see a small, mahogany dresser set in the corner of the room. The two small book cases pushed against the wall, would be clearly visible. Just as the small, scrubby wooden table, which was sitting in the opposite corner of the room. The actual surface of the table was hidden underneath piles of quills, inkbottles, pamphlets, and other trinkets. In the final corner of the room was a bed. The bed took up most of the space of the room, but it was large and welcoming.

Lying flat on her stomach was a small, redhead who had the bed sheets pulled up over her head. Ginny Weasley hated the mornings. She had always struggled to get up in the morning, due to the late nights she often worked at the Ministry of Magic.

"Ginny, it's time to get up!"

Ginny groaned, burying her face deep in her pillow, trying to block out all noise disturbing her sleep. Of course, it was really no use. Once Draco realized that she was still in bed, he pestered her until she was up and out the door. He was much too persistent for his own good.

"I'm getting up, I'm getting up!" she said, her voice muffled from the pillow. Yet she made absolutely no attempt to move a muscle, much to the annoyance of her boyfriend. "Hey!" exclaimed Ginny sharply, as Draco suddenly yanked her bed sheets off of her and pulled the pillow out from underneath her head. She opened her eyes blearily, to see him dump the bedding onto a vacant chair.

As usual, he was dressed for the day, and looking as if he had been up for hours already. He tossed her crème colored dressing gown over to her, before heading out of the bedroom once again.

"It's seven-fifty," he called out from another room. "You've got ten minutes."

"Damn," muttered Ginny, grabbing her robe, as she finally stepped out of bed.

X.X.X

"Coffee," she ordered around five minutes later, when she hurried into the small kitchen in her apartment. Draco was sitting at the table, reading the prophet, something that he did every morning. Ginny found the habit humorous, as he had never been remotely interested in the news when he first moved in. She was proud to say that she was rubbing off on him, something which he would never admit.

"You know," he said, as he turned the page of the paper, his voice full of mild amusement. "You've got to buy yourself an alarm clock. I don't enjoy wasting my precious early hours on you."

"You cold-hearted person," joked Ginny, rolling her eyes at him. "Coffee," she added, a bit impatiently.

"On the table," said Draco, without looking up from his paper.

He left for work around nine, something which Ginny envied greatly. Ginny walked over to the table, picking up the steaming cup of coffee, which she drank every morning to wake herself up. Leaning against the counter, she quickly downed most of the coffee, her chocolate brown eyes fixed on the clock.

"Well I'm off," announced Ginny, as set her mug back down on the table; she had three minutes left. Ginny was about to head back into the bedroom to get her coat, when Draco grabbed her by the wrist. She turned around looking at him in curiosity, for he had abandoned his paper, something which hardly ever happened.

"Happy birthday."

X.X.X

"Aw, if it isn't our little birthday girl," cried Molly Weasley, embracing her only daughter in a bone crushing hug. Ginny smiled lightly at her mother's behavior.

Ever since she had moved out of the Burrow and into her flat with Draco, her parents had been treating her as if they had been apart for several years. When Ginny asked them about their new demeanor they often covered it up by saying, how they missed seeing their youngest child everyday. But the real reason was obvious; her parents completely disapproved of Draco.

They felt that he wasn't good enough for her and they had never been able to accept the fact that he had changed, not entirely, but enough to turn his back on his family's beliefs. And of course, they were worried for her. They didn't trust him; nobody in her family did. That was made perfectly clear from the first time that they saw the two together.

"Now Molly, let the girl catch her breath," said Arthur Weasley chuckling, as his wife reluctantly let Ginny withdraw from the embrace.

"I'm sorry Ginny, but this is your nineteenth birthday. My, my, my you are growing up so fast." Ginny watched as her mother smiled sadly, before stepping back to get a good look at her.

"Malfoy." 

Ginny turned her head as she heard her father greet Draco, who had been standing awkwardly by the door. He had never been fully comfortable with her family, or her childhood home. Draco shook hands with her father, greeting him politely, as her mother pursed her lips.

"Ginny!" The voice of Hermione Granger reached her ears and before she knew it, Ginny was trapped in yet another bone crushing hug. "I've missed you. Happy birthday!" Ginny rolled her eyes, pulling out of the older girl's grasp.

"I saw you last weekend," Ginny reminded her friend, laughing slightly for Hermione smiled in embarrassment.

"Yes I know, but ever since--" she eyed Draco with emphasis, not wanting to finish her sentence.

"Everything is fine, I'm fine, we're great," said Ginny honestly, pulling Hermione by the arm, so they were a bit farther away from Draco, and her father. "Really, you need to relax about everything." Hermione sighed deeply, tucking a strand of her brown hair behind her ear, nodding slowly.

"I know, but it's going to take some time for all of us, to get used to."

"You've had over a year," said Ginny, smirking at her flustered friend.

"Yes, well, it's going to take some more time," said Hermione.

"Where is Ron?" inquired Ginny, frowning as she noticed that Hermione had arrived alone. That hardly ever happened now days, seeing as her brother and friend were engaged, both finally ready to accept their newfound relationship.

"He's coming soon," Hermione told her. "He just said he had to go take care of something. He was rather rushed and excited about it."

"What was it?" inquired Ginny curiously.

"I actually don't know," said Hermione frowning lightly.

.X.X.X.

All of Ginny's family had arrived at the Burrow to celebrate her nineteenth birthday, with the exception of Percy. Bill, Fleur, Charlie, Fred, and George, were all wandering around the house, for Ron was running late. Her parents plainly refused to start the celebrations without her youngest brother, so Ginny stood impatiently with Draco, as all of her brothers refused to strike up a conversation with him.

"You owe me," he muttered, his pale grey eyes scanning the room distastefully.

"It's my birthday," she pointed out. "You have to come, it's an unwritten obligation."

"Hm," he grunted, leaning against the wall. "And I wish your brothers would stop staring." His tone was getting clipped, as he fought to keep his temper down.

"You could just t--" Ginny stopped in the middle of her word, for she heard the door knob rustle; Ron was finally here. It had taken him long enough. Her tall, red haired brother stepped into the room in a moment's time, his eyes dancing. 

"It took you long enough!" exclaimed Ginny. "What were you do--"

For the second time that evening, Ginny had stopped in the middle of her words. After Ron had stepped over the threshold, another person emerged, a familiar tall, dark haired someone.

Ginny stepped away from Draco, getting closer towards the door. She could feel her heart pounding and a her face suddenly felt hot. She had dreamed of this moment, she had thought about this day for two years, and yet, she could have never felt so unprepared.

Hesitantly she took a step closer, her brown eyes abruptly meeting a pair of emerald green; Harry Potter had reappeared once again in her life, he was standing right in front of her.

"Happy birthday, Ginny."


End file.
